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Go Downstream: The New Profit Imperative in Manufacturing
Business models Magazine ArticleNow that providing services is more lucrative than making products, the old foundations for success in manufacturing are crumbling. Smart manufacturers are creating new business models to capture profits at the customer’s end of the value chain. -
Netflix’s “American Factory” and the New Geography of Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Digital ArticleHow the industry is changing in the U.S., China, and Africa. -
Research: Warehouse and Logistics Automation Works Better with Human Partners
Automation Digital ArticleA recent study suggests that blending human labor with robotics leads to greater efficiency. -
Postindustrial Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Magazine ArticleAs global competition grows ever fiercer in manufacturing industries, American managers are adopting a new battle cry: “Beat ’em with technology or move—over there.” Indeed, since 1975, the boom in information-intensive processing technologies has been explosive. A close look at how U.S. managers are actually using these technologies, however, silences their battle cry in a […] -
Manufacturing’s New Economies of Scale
Operations and supply chain management Magazine ArticleIn the 1990s, manufacturing companies face the challenge of globally integrating their operations. Just as companies were forced to rationalize operations within individual plants in the 1980s, they must now do the same for their entire system of manufacturing facilities around the world. Multinationals that can no longer rely on sheer size and geographic reach […] -
It’s Manufacturing’s Turn for Special Treatment
Economics Digital ArticleFollowing up on his pledge to provide greater support for manufacturing in his State of the Union address, President Obama has announced a proposal to cut the effective tax rate for manufacturers to 25%. A number of economists howled against this so-called “industrial policy” and criticized the president’s singling out manufacturing for “special treatment” — […] -
The Human Costs of Manufacturing Reform
Operations and supply chain management Magazine ArticleIf there is anything more powerful than an idea whose time has come, it is one that is the product of wishful thinking. Ask any manager or management consultant what the related essentials of manufacturing reform are, and the answer will likely come back: a just-in-time approach to eliminating waste, rigorous statistical process control to […] -
How Digital Fulfillment Is Changing Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Digital ArticleIt can vastly improve companies’ ability to understand and satisfy customer needs. -
What the U.S. Economy Needs More Than Manufacturing
Economics Digital ArticleTo start, the country should lower the corporate tax rate and focus on service jobs. -
Will Services Follow Manufacturing into Decline?
Competitive strategy Magazine ArticleAlthough they probably know better, many executives still think of the service sector in terms of people making hamburgers or shining shoes. These images belie the complexity, power, technical sophistication, and economic value of activities that now account for more than 68% of the nation’s GNP and 71% of its employment. Worse, they help perpetuate […] -
Why Germany Still Has So Many Middle-Class Manufacturing Jobs
Global Business Digital ArticleMidsize companies create more inclusive growth. -
What You Won't Hear About Trade and Manufacturing on the Campaign Trail
Global Business Digital ArticleTo fix a problem, you need to understand it. -
How Deep Tech Can Drive Sustainability and Profitability in Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Digital ArticleDeep tech, which combines physical and digital technologies, is moving out of the lab and into real-world supply chains. -
The First Step to Fixing U.S. Manufacturing
The industry depends on small suppliers, and they’re struggling. -
The Same Old Principles in the New Manufacturing
National competitiveness Magazine ArticleDynamic Manufacturing: Creating the Learning Organization, Robert H. Hayes, Steven C. Wheelwright, and Kim B. Clark (New York: Free Press, 1988) 429 pages, $24.95. American Business: A Two-Minute Warning, C. Jackson Grayson, Jr. and Carla O’Dell (New York: Free Press, 1988) 368 pages, $24.95. In the fall of 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor rushed into print […] -
Does Manufacturing Matter?
Business history Magazine ArticleThe short answer is: not much. And that’s a good thing. -
How Should You Organize Manufacturing?
Operations and supply chain management Magazine ArticleAmong the characteristics of a company that shape corporate and therefore manufacturing strategy are its dominant orientation (market or product), pattern of diversification (product, market, or process), attitude toward growth (acceptance of low growth rate), and choice between competitive strategies (high profit margins versus high output volumes). Once the basic attitudes or priorities are established, […] -
Learning Across Lines: The Secret to More Efficient Factories
Technology & Operations Magazine ArticleIn the quest to reduce waste on production lines, managers often find that the harder they work at improving their manufacturing processes, the more elusive... -
Frugal Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Magazine ArticleThe business press does not rush to do stories on tool pegboards. An editor hears that Westinghouse’s Asheville, North Carolina plant has shortened machine setup times, eliminated many computer transactions, and cut inventories and indirect labor costs by two-thirds—all in only a couple of years—and you can bet the reporter sent to cover the story […] -
Manufacturing: The New Case for Vertical Integration
Competitive strategy Magazine ArticleEver since Robert Hayes and the late William Abernathy exposed the ways we manage our companies into decline, executives in big manufacturing corporations have been struggling with a central strategic problem.1 It is to find the right balance between investing in vertical integration and encouraging process technology development among suppliers. The problem for managers is […]
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Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (C)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details In the preceding case, Copeland had to choose between two alternative plant layouts for organizing its Sidney plant. Now it must get work force approval... -
Boeing 787: Manufacturing a Dream
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Case traces the design and development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Emphasis is on executive leadership and firm strategy in coordinating across a global... -
Ford vs. GM: The Evolution of Mass Production (A)
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details This case explores the very different paths taken by the Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation in the first three decades of the twentieth... -
Coats (B): Cash Flows and Small Lot Dyeing
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details Following case study UST 1215-050 Coats (A): Responsive Production and Order Fulfillment, Coats (B) examines make-to-stock (MTS) and make-to-order (MTO)... -
Maytag in 1984
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Highlights Maytag's unique position in the industry in 1984. Maytag, a much smaller player than its competitors has prior to 1984 been successful in producing... -
John Deere Component Works (B)
Finance & Accounting Case Study5.00View Details Having installed an activity-based system, the division is now exploring the insight provided by that system. In particular, it is studying the economics... -
Kristen's Cookie Co. (A2)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details Intended for distribution during class, this case contains one set of answers to the (A1) case. It introduces the concept of a Gantt chart and discusses... -
Laurence & Ralph: The Basic Economics of Capacity and Inventory
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details Laurence & Ralph (L&R) is not a case, per se, but a note on the classical Newsboy Problem. This type of problem is exemplary in capacity or inventory... -
Global Farmer and the Future of Soybean Production
Global Business Case Study11.95View Details Three farmers from three different countries are looking at the global soybean system and how to position themselves in the future. -
B.F. Goodrich-Rabobank Interest Rate Swap
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details A U.S. manufacturing organization and a Eurobank swap fixed and floating rate obligations to reduce their financing costs. -
Controls at the Sands Hotel and Casino
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details Describes the controls used in the casino over the blackjack game and cash stocks, and movements of cash. Also describes the results measures available... -
Data-driven Manufacturing: The Kutesmart System
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details The data-driven manufacturing system at this Chinese bespoke mens' suit manufacturer illustrates the use of information technology to support mass customization... -
Fair Park Covid-19 Mass Vaccination Site (B)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details This case is an opportunity to apply the methods of the Toyota Production System (TPS) to the analysis of an everyday service application: administering... -
Columbus Tubing: Steel is Real
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Columbus Tubing must choose to improve an old technology (steel) or to develop a new material (carbon fiber). The decision must take into account a complicated... -
Executive Shirt Co., Inc.
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details The Executive Shirt Co. is contemplating a move into custom-made shirts. The company's general manager has charged two of his managers to come up with... -
Denka Chemicals
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details A manufacturer of over 75 grades of styrenic resins - used to make DVD cases, refrigerator trays, packaging materials and auto parts - faces a "transition... -
Akron Crane Works: The Insourcing Proposal
Finance & Accounting Case Study11.95View Details In 2017, Peter Tang must prepare the economic analysis of a proposal to insource production of certain parts currently purchased by the Tower and Lattice... -
Wooqer: Making Business Social (B)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details Information technologies enable key divisions of an organization such as HR, Training, Operations, and Legal, to achieve operational efficiency. In addition,... -
Sea Pines Racquet Club
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details The student is required to develop a strategy for a tennis club of a large resort area. The tennis director must decide how many courts he needs to build... -
Jackson Automotive Systems
Finance & Accounting Case Study8.95View Details Jackson Automotive Systems produces automotive parts for advanced heating and air conditioning systems, engine cooling systems, fuel injection and transfer...
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Go Downstream: The New Profit Imperative in Manufacturing
Business models Magazine ArticleNow that providing services is more lucrative than making products, the old foundations for success in manufacturing are crumbling. Smart manufacturers are creating new business models to capture profits at the customer’s end of the value chain. -
Netflix’s “American Factory” and the New Geography of Manufacturing
Operations and supply chain management Digital ArticleHow the industry is changing in the U.S., China, and Africa. -
Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (C)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details In the preceding case, Copeland had to choose between two alternative plant layouts for organizing its Sidney plant. Now it must get work force approval... -
Boeing 787: Manufacturing a Dream
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Case traces the design and development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Emphasis is on executive leadership and firm strategy in coordinating across a global... -
Ford vs. GM: The Evolution of Mass Production (A)
Technology & Operations Case Study11.95View Details This case explores the very different paths taken by the Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation in the first three decades of the twentieth... -
Coats (B): Cash Flows and Small Lot Dyeing
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details Following case study UST 1215-050 Coats (A): Responsive Production and Order Fulfillment, Coats (B) examines make-to-stock (MTS) and make-to-order (MTO)... -
Maytag in 1984
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Highlights Maytag's unique position in the industry in 1984. Maytag, a much smaller player than its competitors has prior to 1984 been successful in producing... -
John Deere Component Works (B)
Finance & Accounting Case Study5.00View Details Having installed an activity-based system, the division is now exploring the insight provided by that system. In particular, it is studying the economics... -
Social Manufacturing: When the Maker Movement Meets Interfirm Production Networks
Leadership & Managing People Digital ArticleNew business models harnessing the power of individuals have already revolutionized service industries and digital content production. In this study,... -
Kristen's Cookie Co. (A2)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details Intended for distribution during class, this case contains one set of answers to the (A1) case. It introduces the concept of a Gantt chart and discusses...